115
115
Dec 27, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 115
favorite 0
quote 0
reid, mcconnell, boehner and pelosi. . joining me to talk more, we have peter alexander standing by at the white house as well as nbc's mike viqueira on capitol hill. some verbal smackdown, basically flipping the lights back on and harry reid taking to the floor to eviscerate speaker boehner. >> the sad part is you often seen the floor opened that way. mitch mcconnell being later today. i'm sure we'll hear something later. to hear it two days after christmas and a matter of days before we go through the fiscal cliff, obviously not encouraging. harry reid says time is running hout. he doesn't know if they could go through the legislative hurdles. if they have the votes around here, they can legislate the sky is green and the grass is blue. that's not an issue. what harry reid is really saying is mitch mcconnell, get on board, don't try to filibuster. of course they're talking about a bill that had raise capital on couples making more than $250,000 a year, and do a few other nuts and bolts that are deemed the bare minimum th
reid, mcconnell, boehner and pelosi. . joining me to talk more, we have peter alexander standing by at the white house as well as nbc's mike viqueira on capitol hill. some verbal smackdown, basically flipping the lights back on and harry reid taking to the floor to eviscerate speaker boehner. >> the sad part is you often seen the floor opened that way. mitch mcconnell being later today. i'm sure we'll hear something later. to hear it two days after christmas and a matter of days before we...
211
211
Dec 27, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 211
favorite 0
quote 0
just listen to senator mcconnell today. listen to this. >> i say i'm a little frustrated because we've been asking the president and the democrats to work with us on a bipartisan agreement for months. the president chose to spend his time on the campaign trail. now, republicans have bent over backwards. we stepped way, way out of our comfort zone. we wanted an agreement. but we had no takers. >> just to be factual, on november 29th, the president made his opening offer to the gop. mcconnell actually burst into laughter. you can't laugh at a non-proposal. on november 17th, the president made a second offer with concessions on taxes and entitlement. so here's three occasions. yet, they claim no proposal. or this is the first proposal. how do you deal people no leadership and that are not telling the truth? >> and to think the president cut short his christmas vacation to come back and deal with this situation, look, the president ran -- mitch mcconnell is the minority leader. but what was the president doing on the campaign t
just listen to senator mcconnell today. listen to this. >> i say i'm a little frustrated because we've been asking the president and the democrats to work with us on a bipartisan agreement for months. the president chose to spend his time on the campaign trail. now, republicans have bent over backwards. we stepped way, way out of our comfort zone. we wanted an agreement. but we had no takers. >> just to be factual, on november 29th, the president made his opening offer to the gop....
131
131
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 131
favorite 0
quote 0
we know mitch mcconnell is here. we assume harry reid is here and their staffs are going back and forth. i spoke to one aide who said don't expect for any details to leak tonight. they'll be closed-lipped about this because the idea if anything does leak out it gives more of an opportunity for folks on either party to kill a deal if they don't like what they hear. some sort of a agreement will be announced tomorrow when the house is back in session and the senate is back in session and they can go back to say hey, this is the best opportunity. as far as the likelihood of this kraig, things have not been going well and there's optimism here and there and things are fluid like kristen says and it will be the final deal, but what we do know is these folks on capitol hill are very mindful of the damage that can be done to the economy if nothing is brief. we've had five down days in the stock market and we're preparing the country on tuesday for the first tax increase in 20 years, and i think finally at the end, that's st
we know mitch mcconnell is here. we assume harry reid is here and their staffs are going back and forth. i spoke to one aide who said don't expect for any details to leak tonight. they'll be closed-lipped about this because the idea if anything does leak out it gives more of an opportunity for folks on either party to kill a deal if they don't like what they hear. some sort of a agreement will be announced tomorrow when the house is back in session and the senate is back in session and they can...
123
123
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 123
favorite 0
quote 0
but because i think it's been very hard for speaker boehner and republican leader mcconnell to accept the fact that taxes on the wealthiest americans should go up a little bit. as part of an overall deficit reduction package. >> you talk about a dysfunction in washington. you signed this legislation setting up the fiscal cliff 17 months ago. how accountable are you for the fact that washington can't get anything done and we're at this deadline again? >> well i have to tell you, david, if you look at my track record over the last two years, i cut spending by over $1 trillion in 2011. i campaigned on the promise of being willing to reduce the deficit in a serious way, in a balanced approach of spending cuts and tax increases on the wealthy, while keeping middle-class taxes low. i put forward a very specific proposal to do that. i negotiated with speaker boehner in good faith and moved more than halfway in order to achieve a grand bargain. i offered over $1 trillion in additional spending cuts. so that we would have $2 of spending cuts for every $1 of increased revenue. i think anybody o
but because i think it's been very hard for speaker boehner and republican leader mcconnell to accept the fact that taxes on the wealthiest americans should go up a little bit. as part of an overall deficit reduction package. >> you talk about a dysfunction in washington. you signed this legislation setting up the fiscal cliff 17 months ago. how accountable are you for the fact that washington can't get anything done and we're at this deadline again? >> well i have to tell you,...
250
250
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 250
favorite 0
quote 0
and mcconnell has really controlled the leaders. the fact that he's meeting with harry reid means there probably isn't going to be a filibuster. i'll find that very surprising. the problem is that never have we seen, not in my lifetime, a weaker speaker of the house of representative than john boehner. john boehner has essentially thrown up his hands and walked away from this process. he's walked away from the constitutional mandate that senate and tax bills come from the house, not the senate. and he's said you guys pass something. they were going to pass something. it's the house that's the problem. it's always been. and this is the same congress that has been behaving this way for two years. >> thank you, joy, thank you clarence. we have a great programming note. on sunday, president obama will be david gregory's guest on "meet the press." that's this sunday on "meet the press." but coming up next, whatever became of john boehner. remember him? not too long ago, he was the leader of an increasingly powerful republican party in th
and mcconnell has really controlled the leaders. the fact that he's meeting with harry reid means there probably isn't going to be a filibuster. i'll find that very surprising. the problem is that never have we seen, not in my lifetime, a weaker speaker of the house of representative than john boehner. john boehner has essentially thrown up his hands and walked away from this process. he's walked away from the constitutional mandate that senate and tax bills come from the house, not the senate....
153
153
Dec 24, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 153
favorite 0
quote 0
senate majority leader harry reid, minority leader mitch mcconnell will have to work together. a lot of focus shifts to mcdonnell. he has to try to get something that will pass with republicans that they can get through the house and senate, but i think president obama certainly has a role to play. remember, he is the one who ran on the platform. >>> you heard him map out on friday. he would like a scaled-back version of the grand bargain, something to prevent taxes going up, and also lay the groundwork potentially for deficit reduction in the future. i think you will see president obama cut his vacation short, and continue to play a role in those negotiations. richard. >>> kristin, over the weekend, he attended the funeral for the late senator inouye, who he has called an inspiration to him. what did you see in that service? >> well, more than 20 members of congress attended, mostly democrats, majority leader harry reid spoke and praised senator inouye for his partisan spirit, reaching across the aisle. of course in an earlier memorial service, the president called the late se
senate majority leader harry reid, minority leader mitch mcconnell will have to work together. a lot of focus shifts to mcdonnell. he has to try to get something that will pass with republicans that they can get through the house and senate, but i think president obama certainly has a role to play. remember, he is the one who ran on the platform. >>> you heard him map out on friday. he would like a scaled-back version of the grand bargain, something to prevent taxes going up, and also...
220
220
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 220
favorite 0
quote 1
so mcconnell wants a deal. they are negotiating with harry reed as was mentioned behind closed doors. look, there's still a lot of room that mcconnell needs to move and reed needs to accept to get there. both on the tax rate side and what would come along with that and whether any spending cuts would be part of any equation. but mitch mcconnell made positive sounds yesterday. and i think that led folks to say, hey, maybe there's at least an outside chance of getting a deal. >> if a deal gets done, it will be a much smaller deal than both sides thought they would be able to reach if you asked them a few months ago. the president has a full agenda in the coming year. he said that he wants to do something on immigration. he is indicating that he would like to do something with regard to gun control and there's been talk on energy legislation. but it looks like raising the debt ceiling is not part of the deal. that is four major political fights that the president has on his hands. what is going to get lost the lon
so mcconnell wants a deal. they are negotiating with harry reed as was mentioned behind closed doors. look, there's still a lot of room that mcconnell needs to move and reed needs to accept to get there. both on the tax rate side and what would come along with that and whether any spending cuts would be part of any equation. but mitch mcconnell made positive sounds yesterday. and i think that led folks to say, hey, maybe there's at least an outside chance of getting a deal. >> if a deal...
149
149
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 149
favorite 0
quote 0
one is that leader mcconnell is actively engaged. for the first time leader mcconnell is speaking to the president. if the senate is going to be the place where action starts, you need both of them there. and the second reason for optimism is boehner is back at the table because you can't pass something just through the senate. >> this afternoon's meeting feels much to me like optics to make it look like we're doing something but let me just say one more time, this is a total dereliction of duty at every level. i have been very surprised that the president has not laid out a very specific plan to deal with this, but candidly, congress could have done the same, and i think the american people should be disgusted. >> but let's be optimistic for a minute. let's say a deal is done. do you think that republicans can sell this to either their base or to the house at least as a tax cut, not a rise in taxes? >> chuck schumer brought up a good point. a key moment of these entire negotiations came on wednesday night when president obama calls
one is that leader mcconnell is actively engaged. for the first time leader mcconnell is speaking to the president. if the senate is going to be the place where action starts, you need both of them there. and the second reason for optimism is boehner is back at the table because you can't pass something just through the senate. >> this afternoon's meeting feels much to me like optics to make it look like we're doing something but let me just say one more time, this is a total dereliction...
151
151
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 151
favorite 0
quote 0
i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody, this is -- whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect and some people aren't going to like it. some people will like it less, but that's where we are. and i feel confident that we have an obligation to do the best we can and that was made very clear in the white house. and we're going to do the best we can for the caucuses that we have and the country that's waiting for us to make a decision. >> but the president was in no playful mood. he warned reid and mcconnell that congress will be called to action, even if the leaders don't come up with a plan. >> if we don't see an agreement between the two leaders in the senate, i expect a bill to go on the floor, and i've asked senator reid to do this, put a bill on the floor that makes sure that taxes on middle class families don't go up, that unemployment insurance is still available for 2 million people, and that lays the groundwork then for additional deficit reduction and economic growth steps that we can take in th
i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody, this is -- whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect and some people aren't going to like it. some people will like it less, but that's where we are. and i feel confident that we have an obligation to do the best we can and that was made very clear in the white house. and we're going to do the best we can for the caucuses that we have and the country that's waiting for us to make a decision. >> but the president was...
141
141
Dec 24, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 141
favorite 0
quote 0
mitch mcconnell, up for re-election. will he craft a deal with harry reid? that's dicey. whatever bill is passed, may not be that popular. raising tax rates and probably cut back on benefits so, remains to be seen if they can get 60 in the senate and 218 in the house. but boehner may have to put that senate pass bill of the 250,000 obama plan, he says that doesn't have the votes topaz the house. he may have to prove that. >> real quickly i want to shift gears here and talk about chuck hagel and the potential of him being put up to the cabinet level position of secretary of defense. and getting criticism from the left and the right, chuck schumer declining to endorse him yesterday on meet the press. i want to play for everybody what andrea mitchell also said on "meet the press." >> this white house cannot continue to float trial balloons and then not have them shot down. the president can't perceived to being rolled by opponents. the problem of chuck hagel with support in the foreign policy community is shot at from the left and the right. >> i want to put it to you, both.
mitch mcconnell, up for re-election. will he craft a deal with harry reid? that's dicey. whatever bill is passed, may not be that popular. raising tax rates and probably cut back on benefits so, remains to be seen if they can get 60 in the senate and 218 in the house. but boehner may have to put that senate pass bill of the 250,000 obama plan, he says that doesn't have the votes topaz the house. he may have to prove that. >> real quickly i want to shift gears here and talk about chuck...
224
224
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 224
favorite 0
quote 0
the republican team in mcconnell's office. they are gaming out what they want and throw in offers across the table. the good news is they are trading those offers. >> t.j., can i say a word in defense of asinine politicians? the asinine politicians are reflecting real divisions in the country, divisions of self-interest, divisions of philosophy. it's more difficult to do because of the structure of our system, the way the two parties developed. ultimately, they are talking act thing that is cost people money and things that would benefit others financially. those are difficult issues to settle. you know, our system was designed to make them difficult to settle, not as difficult as they are in this circumstance. that's the nature of democracy. people said it's the worst form of government except for the other ones. >> you are right there. this is how it gets done. something seems wrong. it's accepting. i'm literally watching a clock here, tick, tick, tick as we get closer to the deadline. thank you both for being here. i know w
the republican team in mcconnell's office. they are gaming out what they want and throw in offers across the table. the good news is they are trading those offers. >> t.j., can i say a word in defense of asinine politicians? the asinine politicians are reflecting real divisions in the country, divisions of self-interest, divisions of philosophy. it's more difficult to do because of the structure of our system, the way the two parties developed. ultimately, they are talking act thing that...
209
209
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 209
favorite 0
quote 1
i do think that mcconnell -- that's where he wants to be. can he get there in the next 24 hours? that's what we don't know. >> tom brokaw? >> well, it seems to me that the middle class is going to have a date for the prom. everybody is talking about protecting the middle class here. so i think this deal will probably get done around the middle class tax cut. it's at what level. $400,000 or $250,000 or some other number. which is going to be critically important. a lot of people don't realize in a large urban and suburban areas of america, $250,000 doesn't make you rich. you have two kids at college at $60,000, if you're a boomer, you may have a dependant parent of some kind, spending another $20,000 or $25,000 on. you have to have a definition of what is the middle class. to david's point, i do really believe that the president doesn't work hard enough at bringing everybody into the white house and rolling up his sleeves, having him in the living quarters, getting them around the table and saying how can we get this deal done? he didn't talk downstream about tax reform, for examp
i do think that mcconnell -- that's where he wants to be. can he get there in the next 24 hours? that's what we don't know. >> tom brokaw? >> well, it seems to me that the middle class is going to have a date for the prom. everybody is talking about protecting the middle class here. so i think this deal will probably get done around the middle class tax cut. it's at what level. $400,000 or $250,000 or some other number. which is going to be critically important. a lot of people...
201
201
Dec 23, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 201
favorite 0
quote 0
is mitch mcconnell going to agree not to filibuster. is the speaker going to be able to bring it to the floor, which is viewed by his right wing as a complete sell out? because if he brings it to the floor, the democrats and the votes, 17, 20 you mentioned might be enough to pass it. that would be the end of his speakership. >> okay. >> so he's going to have to say no to bringing it to the floor. the president looks very good. i think the real story here is, if i were the president, i would not want to make a deal now. i think things get better for him as time goes on. >> at the same time -- >> it's a critical part of negotiations. if we don't make a deal, what will happen. what's likely to happen. >> at the same time, the american people are on both sides. >> very good job, by the way. what he's doing is, my expectation -- what i think is happening is the president doesn't want to make a deal, but he has to show he's doing everything possible to make it. he has to show the public wants to see him acting bipartisan. he's saying the righ
is mitch mcconnell going to agree not to filibuster. is the speaker going to be able to bring it to the floor, which is viewed by his right wing as a complete sell out? because if he brings it to the floor, the democrats and the votes, 17, 20 you mentioned might be enough to pass it. that would be the end of his speakership. >> okay. >> so he's going to have to say no to bringing it to the floor. the president looks very good. i think the real story here is, if i were the president,...
184
184
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 184
favorite 0
quote 0
mcconnell and harry reid come up with the deal. they accept it to the house on sunday night, monday morning. what are the chances of them getting their ducks in a row, boehner getting his ducks in a row and us still being able to avoid the krif? >> right. we should have a better sense of that by tomorrow afternoon when they start to reconvene. speaker boehner made it clear at the meeting at the white house on friday, anything that the senate passes will be considered by the house, might be amended, might be changed a bit. has to go back to the senate quick for changes. but he said will indeed be considered. the question, can perhaps all the democrats plus at least some republicans, come together to pass something while a bunch of conservative republicans will oppose it, because it's raising taxes for one thing. >> the issue of taxes, is this a consequence of really what happens with bush 41? who is recovering in the hospital, by the way, right now and certainly our thoughts are with him. when he broke that pledge, read my lips, no
mcconnell and harry reid come up with the deal. they accept it to the house on sunday night, monday morning. what are the chances of them getting their ducks in a row, boehner getting his ducks in a row and us still being able to avoid the krif? >> right. we should have a better sense of that by tomorrow afternoon when they start to reconvene. speaker boehner made it clear at the meeting at the white house on friday, anything that the senate passes will be considered by the house, might...
231
231
Dec 22, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 231
favorite 0
quote 0
>> mcconnell is worried. he and polling about ashley judd, if he is polling he is worried. his numbers are not great and his colleague was not his choice, rand paul, to be the other senate, he was the tea party candidate. so mitch mcconnell is worried. >> she can bring in a lot of outside money, coming in from around the country and hollywood. >> she can, she has a few problems. she lives in tennessee and scott land where her husband is from. so a lot of kentucky voters will say, what does she have to do with us anymore. she has name recognition though, and in the game of running for political office that is important. >> another development, south carolina, nicki haley there announcing she was picking congressman tim scott to replace jim demint. and scott will be the only african american in the senate and one of only a handful in the history of the senate. who will replace scott may be the question here. ? well there's certainly any number of candidates, strom thurmond ran against tim scott before. there's always the possibility, mark san ford, this will be a hotly contes
>> mcconnell is worried. he and polling about ashley judd, if he is polling he is worried. his numbers are not great and his colleague was not his choice, rand paul, to be the other senate, he was the tea party candidate. so mitch mcconnell is worried. >> she can bring in a lot of outside money, coming in from around the country and hollywood. >> she can, she has a few problems. she lives in tennessee and scott land where her husband is from. so a lot of kentucky voters will...
124
124
Dec 26, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 124
favorite 0
quote 0
we know there's not been communication between boehner and mcconnell, obama and boehner. are you amazed with this short amount of time to go there seems to be no sense of urgency on either side? >> am i amazed, given what we went through with the debt ceiling, no, i'm not amazed. i think there are forces here in this town that would like for us, sure people would like for there to be a deal, but going over the cliff on january 1st when there's this notion where it's not really a cliff, it's a slope, it's a curb depending who you talk to, that you can repair the damage if you get a deal done, you know, a few days after january 3rd. i think people feel like they can slow walk. as we saw last week when plan b failed, you know, speaker boehner said it's up to the white house and the democrats to come up with a deal. >> washing my hands with it. what's interesting is what you just touched on, conventional wisdom has grown now to it's a cliff, it's a cliff, we can't go off it, to we're okay for two to three weeks afterwards, the treasury can stay in place. do you think they wan
we know there's not been communication between boehner and mcconnell, obama and boehner. are you amazed with this short amount of time to go there seems to be no sense of urgency on either side? >> am i amazed, given what we went through with the debt ceiling, no, i'm not amazed. i think there are forces here in this town that would like for us, sure people would like for there to be a deal, but going over the cliff on january 1st when there's this notion where it's not really a cliff,...
294
294
Dec 23, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 294
favorite 0
quote 0
according to mcconnell supporters he prefers biden who is known by some in the west wing as the mcconnell whisperrer because he sees negotiating as a political horse trading. would it make sense for joe biden to handleal the situation or to negotiate himself? >> i think the price president biden is very adept at handling this situation if the president wants him to do so. this issue was discussed, debated and decided in the november election. and so i know senator mcconnell might want vice president biden to work with him on this issue but it's the president who was selected by the american people to move forward on his agenda. so regardless of what senator mcconnell wants we need to come up with a solution to this issue. >> politico reports his new toughness is rooted in the nature of his convincing november win. so either of you who feels like starting, does the president deserve any blame for the collapse of negotiations or is it expected given that he did win the election? >> he did win the election but has to take some sort of blame, as well. if you look at the great negotiations bet
according to mcconnell supporters he prefers biden who is known by some in the west wing as the mcconnell whisperrer because he sees negotiating as a political horse trading. would it make sense for joe biden to handleal the situation or to negotiate himself? >> i think the price president biden is very adept at handling this situation if the president wants him to do so. this issue was discussed, debated and decided in the november election. and so i know senator mcconnell might want...
210
210
Dec 22, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 210
favorite 0
quote 0
mitch mcconnell at this moment may help harry reid make that happen in a very quiet way. but have you other peop but you have other people who simply won't follow. it's difficult to lead people who are not playing by the normal rules of pragmatic politics and compromise, giving their views are out of step with the country. >> i will tell you, the representative is nodding with you in agreement. representative john yarmuth and mr. john harwood. thank you, happy holidays. >> same to up. >>> straight ahead, pulitzer-prize winning author john mae meacham, and the impact that the benghazi report may have on hillary clinton's possible run. if you think running a restaurant is hard, try running four. fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase. this reduced sodium soup says it may help lower cholesterol, how does it work? you just have to eat it as p
mitch mcconnell at this moment may help harry reid make that happen in a very quiet way. but have you other peop but you have other people who simply won't follow. it's difficult to lead people who are not playing by the normal rules of pragmatic politics and compromise, giving their views are out of step with the country. >> i will tell you, the representative is nodding with you in agreement. representative john yarmuth and mr. john harwood. thank you, happy holidays. >> same to...
250
250
Dec 27, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 250
favorite 0
quote 0
we talked briefly about this earlier, but mitch mcconnell has a senate election in 2014. and if there's been one thing that's been noted over the past year, it's these crazy senate challengers have the chance of knocking off a person in the primary. and i'm assuming that mitch mcconnell knows that. >> this is great. this is great. we love this. tension at the convention of both ends of pennsylvania avenue, the white house, congress. this is terrific stuff. kurt, stay with us, okay? can you. we're begging you, begging you. >> you're adding gravitas to this. >>> we'll also bring in nbc news political director, chuck todd, also nbc white house correspo corresponde correspondent. >>> first, dylan dreyer with the forecast. >> we are going to see a good amount of snow across northern new england today. another one to two feet of snow possible. because of that, we do have winter storm warnings once again in effect. and this storm is just continuing to wreak havoc on the airports. that's the problem with the holiday travelers all taking up the flights that were all canceled yeste
we talked briefly about this earlier, but mitch mcconnell has a senate election in 2014. and if there's been one thing that's been noted over the past year, it's these crazy senate challengers have the chance of knocking off a person in the primary. and i'm assuming that mitch mcconnell knows that. >> this is great. this is great. we love this. tension at the convention of both ends of pennsylvania avenue, the white house, congress. this is terrific stuff. kurt, stay with us, okay? can...
230
230
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 230
favorite 0
quote 0
and we have sound from mitch mcconnell on the house floor and harry reid. >> we had a good discussion with the majority leader with the hopes to come forward as early as sunday to have a recommendation that i can make to my conference and the majority leader can make to his conference. >> i am going to do everything that i can. i'm confident that senator mcconnell will do the same, but everybody, this is whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect and some people aren't going to like it, and some people will like it less, but that is where we are. i feel confident that we have an obligation to do the best we can, and that was made very clear in the white house. we will do the best we can for the caucuses that we have and the country that's waiting for us to make a decision. >> clarence, you have seen this movie before. >> yes. >> it sounds like something is in the works, right? >> well, it sounds like something is in the works on at least the senate side. on the house side, we don't know about those hard core intransigent intransigents and whether even if the senate does come up
and we have sound from mitch mcconnell on the house floor and harry reid. >> we had a good discussion with the majority leader with the hopes to come forward as early as sunday to have a recommendation that i can make to my conference and the majority leader can make to his conference. >> i am going to do everything that i can. i'm confident that senator mcconnell will do the same, but everybody, this is whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect and some people aren't going...
212
212
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 212
favorite 0
quote 0
i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody -- whatever everybody comes up with is going to be imperfect. some like it. some like it less, and that's where we are. i have the confidence we're going to do the best we can. that's the message in the white house. we we're going to do the best for the country that's waitinger for us to make a decision. >> clarence, you even seen this movie, right? >> well, yeah. at least in the works on the senate side. on the house side, we still don't know about those hard core intransigents, and even if the senate does come up with something, if the house can agree to go along with it, as kristen said, you have to have all the democrats and about 30 republicans. there's only about six republicans that are familiar to democrats. the rest don't seem to lose any points as far as they're concerned by appearing to be as much of a road block as they can, even if it means going over the fiscal cliff. so if harry reid and mr. mcconnell can't come up with something, then you've got barack ob
i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody -- whatever everybody comes up with is going to be imperfect. some like it. some like it less, and that's where we are. i have the confidence we're going to do the best we can. that's the message in the white house. we we're going to do the best for the country that's waitinger for us to make a decision. >> clarence, you even seen this movie, right? >> well, yeah. at least in the works on the senate side. on the house...
129
129
Dec 24, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 129
favorite 0
quote 0
senate majority leader harry reid, minority leader mitch mcconnell will have to try to hammer out some sort of a compromise to avoid going over the cliff, but as you pointed out in your introduction, a lot of senators over the weekend expressed concern that, in fact, we will go over the fiscal cliff. of course, if is that happens, the economy could eventually slip back into recession. one interesting point, thomas, though, last time that members of congress worked between christmas and new year's was 1996. that was during the government shutdown. this is really a rare occurrence for members of congress to have to come back and work out legislation that they went able to get done before the christmas holiday. >> the president is supposed to stay there for how long? >> well, of course, the white house not really giving us specifics about the president's travel plans at this point in time. the reality is i think the president is himself trying to figure out what he is going to do, but we do expect that he will cut his vacation short. you've heard the president himself during his press con
senate majority leader harry reid, minority leader mitch mcconnell will have to try to hammer out some sort of a compromise to avoid going over the cliff, but as you pointed out in your introduction, a lot of senators over the weekend expressed concern that, in fact, we will go over the fiscal cliff. of course, if is that happens, the economy could eventually slip back into recession. one interesting point, thomas, though, last time that members of congress worked between christmas and new...
202
202
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 202
favorite 0
quote 0
. >> senators reid and mcconnell are discussing a potential agreement to where we can get a bipartisan bill out of the senate over to the house and done in a timely fashion so that we met the december 31st deadline. but, given how things have been working this this town, we always have to wait and see until it actually happens. >> so there you have it. there will be a deal when there is a deal. i think that is howie mandel had been at the meeting, perhaps thing things have gone better, because he could have given the nation's leaders a lesson on probability 101. this is what we know are the the his own fiscal cliff show. most of the contestants make a choice not dealing with the real world mathematical probabilities of the situation they are in. contestants don't look at the innate silver, but they are driven by their emotions. contestants behave in more risky ways and taking bigger chances when less likely to pay off when prior expectations have been shattered by eliminating prior briefcases or other expectations have been surpassed by opening low-value briefcases. in other words, con
. >> senators reid and mcconnell are discussing a potential agreement to where we can get a bipartisan bill out of the senate over to the house and done in a timely fashion so that we met the december 31st deadline. but, given how things have been working this this town, we always have to wait and see until it actually happens. >> so there you have it. there will be a deal when there is a deal. i think that is howie mandel had been at the meeting, perhaps thing things have gone...
169
169
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 169
favorite 0
quote 0
that was senator reid and mcconnell and congressman hoyer in washington. brian sullivan is here and refuse rend al sharpton and richard wolf on assignment and joining us on set is rana and in washington eugene robinson. gene, thanks for getting dragged out of bed this morning. what was your initial reaction watching that clip of those three guys talking about this thing? >> you know, where are we? my initial feeling was this isn't going anywhere, and we have to go over the cliff and then they'll fix it. that's amy initial reaction. it doesn't sound like there's anything productive happening, if that's what everybody is still saying about the state of the negotiations. there don't seem to be any real negotiations. >> i have to say, i ought thought this is exactly where we'd be right now. in the beginning i couldn't believe it. >> why did you think that? >> because she's smarter than you. >> i middle east everybody is. >> i called up our washington bureau chief who is smart. right after the elections when everybody started, markets actually went up. there wa
that was senator reid and mcconnell and congressman hoyer in washington. brian sullivan is here and refuse rend al sharpton and richard wolf on assignment and joining us on set is rana and in washington eugene robinson. gene, thanks for getting dragged out of bed this morning. what was your initial reaction watching that clip of those three guys talking about this thing? >> you know, where are we? my initial feeling was this isn't going anywhere, and we have to go over the cliff and then...
258
258
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 258
favorite 0
quote 1
it is interesting to hear mitch mcconnell talking about his good faith efforts. he knows that he just threw a monkey wrench into the negotiations y. think he is also doing it to protect speaker boehner and the republicans and the house because he doesn't want to send them a deal that he knows they are going to vote down. >> let's talk about the blame game going on. i want to play a piece of tape. republican this morning really blaming president obama. let's listen. >> what we're seeing here is a monumental failure of presidential leadership. the president is the only person with a pen who can sign this and it is the president's responsibility to work on something that the house will pass and the senate will pass. he is outsourcing this. he continues to campaign and lecture when he ought to be focusing on the number one problem that hurts us in the country which is our debt. >> what is your reaction to hearing that? >> that is a lot of nonsense and i think the american people who have been following this conversation recognize that the president has proposed a bal
it is interesting to hear mitch mcconnell talking about his good faith efforts. he knows that he just threw a monkey wrench into the negotiations y. think he is also doing it to protect speaker boehner and the republicans and the house because he doesn't want to send them a deal that he knows they are going to vote down. >> let's talk about the blame game going on. i want to play a piece of tape. republican this morning really blaming president obama. let's listen. >> what we're...
209
209
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 209
favorite 0
quote 0
>> talk about the reid/mcconnell special relationship. they were the two that cobbled together deals. 2011 is a great example. will they have a three-peat here? >> again i'm not bullish on this. i think robert might be a little more than i am. i think it would require a lot of courage on mcconned to put something through that democrats like and to impress upon john boehner to get this to the floor of the house i think could put -- on the bright side it could put him in a heroic position. >> very quickly. >> mcconnell is in a tricky position. >> he is looking a the 2014. thank you both so much. >> thank you. >>> >>> today's tweet of the day is about the milk cliff. glen johnson tweets amid talk of milk going up to $7 a dplon, with no deal, we'll all just start drinking gas then. [ male announcer ] with over 50 delicious choices of green giant vegetables it's easy to eat like a giant... ♪ and feel like a green giant. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant >>> the uncertainty caps off a huge year in politics. joining me is a raching, thanks for bein
>> talk about the reid/mcconnell special relationship. they were the two that cobbled together deals. 2011 is a great example. will they have a three-peat here? >> again i'm not bullish on this. i think robert might be a little more than i am. i think it would require a lot of courage on mcconned to put something through that democrats like and to impress upon john boehner to get this to the floor of the house i think could put -- on the bright side it could put him in a heroic...
202
202
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 202
favorite 0
quote 0
mcconnell and joe biden. so there's an indication of how things are going. >> you wrote that democrats are hesitant to put a deal on the senate floor with no republican backing, because it just offers them a chance to score political points when public opinion does seem to be favoring the democrats. democrats don't have an incentive to waste a show of support for something that can't pass, right? >> that's exactly where democrats are. they feel like they want to get a deal with republican backing, if they can. but remember on friday, the president kind of put republicans in a box. he said either cut a deal in the senate and push it through, or i'm going to ask harry reid to put my scaled back plan on the senate floor. and remember that scaled back plan has tax increases for everybody who makes over $250,000, which republicans don't love at all. i'll have harry reid put that on the floor and you'll have to block it. and you will have to then take responsibility for not pushing it through. so republicans are a
mcconnell and joe biden. so there's an indication of how things are going. >> you wrote that democrats are hesitant to put a deal on the senate floor with no republican backing, because it just offers them a chance to score political points when public opinion does seem to be favoring the democrats. democrats don't have an incentive to waste a show of support for something that can't pass, right? >> that's exactly where democrats are. they feel like they want to get a deal with...
162
162
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 162
favorite 0
quote 0
mitch mcconnell is a tough place and this is the underreported part of the story. he has to figure out a deal that gets through the senate and doesn't make john boehner look too bad in the house and there are a lot of conservatives in the house that don't want to do any type of deal that would raise taxes on anybody even though they'll go up on the entire country the first tax hike in 20 years after monday night. >> and one would also assume that mitch mcconnell would have to back a grant, he could face a primary fight if this thing -- >> you touched on one of the great sub plots of these entire negotiations is personal things that boehner and mcconnell have in these negotiations. obviously, mcconnell doesn't want to have someone on the right come after him because he was in favor of a tax hike and john boehner's re-election as speaker of the house. and that would come across as a vote of no confidence. very embarrassing and they don't expect it happening and there's a lot at stake for mitch mcconnell and john boehner personally. great point you brought up. >> if t
mitch mcconnell is a tough place and this is the underreported part of the story. he has to figure out a deal that gets through the senate and doesn't make john boehner look too bad in the house and there are a lot of conservatives in the house that don't want to do any type of deal that would raise taxes on anybody even though they'll go up on the entire country the first tax hike in 20 years after monday night. >> and one would also assume that mitch mcconnell would have to back a...
184
184
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 184
favorite 0
quote 0
i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody, this is whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect. >> and t.j., there's a lot of pressure on lawmakers and on the president to get something done. we've already seen the markets impacted by this. a lot of americans have just expressed frustration and concern over what's going to happen to their tax rates in the new year if in fact lawmakers can't get a deal. so there's a lot of public pressure to get something done on this. and of course, time is really running out. t.j.? >> kristen welker for us at the white house. thank you so much. and joining me now with some inside perspective, there he is smiling this morning, democratic congressman elijah cummings a ranking member of the oversite committee. you are in baltimore, maryland right now. >> that's right. >> when are you heading back to washington, d.c.? >> i'll be in washington sometime later on this afternoon. >> and sir, what are you going to do when you get there? >> well, sadly, t.j., the house is in a posi
i'm confident senator mcconnell will do the same. but everybody, this is whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect. >> and t.j., there's a lot of pressure on lawmakers and on the president to get something done. we've already seen the markets impacted by this. a lot of americans have just expressed frustration and concern over what's going to happen to their tax rates in the new year if in fact lawmakers can't get a deal. so there's a lot of public pressure to get something done...
169
169
Dec 30, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 169
favorite 0
quote 0
mcconnell in your talks. my sources have said that those talks went very well and they've restarted the talks now between reid and mcconnell. now, it's going to go probably late tonight, late tonight. we'll have to see. >> okay. we're going to have to leave it there. that wraps things up for me. we continue to wait for a deal to be reached on capitol hill to avoid the fiscal cliff. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressur
mcconnell in your talks. my sources have said that those talks went very well and they've restarted the talks now between reid and mcconnell. now, it's going to go probably late tonight, late tonight. we'll have to see. >> okay. we're going to have to leave it there. that wraps things up for me. we continue to wait for a deal to be reached on capitol hill to avoid the fiscal cliff. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically...
117
117
Dec 27, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 117
favorite 0
quote 0
i have no idea what mitch mcconnell is talking about. it seems to be nothing more than political posturing, but i want to say nobody is trying to put this on john boehner. it's on boehner. he's the speaker, and so it's not of a political bringsmanship or gamesmanship. it's the fact. >> it seems the strategy here, boehner obviously kind of said and i think he's been called out for this, said it's up to the president and the senate. i give up, we're leaving town. i guess now they're going to come back sunday, as if that's going to create some sense of urgency. what strikes me is the message that continues to come forward is the american people are going to -- believe that the president and democrats are showing real leadership and they will blame the republicans if this deal goes south, and yet when you listen to mcconnell and you listen to speaker boehner, it doesn't sound like they got the message, and as harry reid pointed out, the president won and he won campaigning on these ideas. again, these guys are just being stubborn. >> absolut
i have no idea what mitch mcconnell is talking about. it seems to be nothing more than political posturing, but i want to say nobody is trying to put this on john boehner. it's on boehner. he's the speaker, and so it's not of a political bringsmanship or gamesmanship. it's the fact. >> it seems the strategy here, boehner obviously kind of said and i think he's been called out for this, said it's up to the president and the senate. i give up, we're leaving town. i guess now they're going...
56
56
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 56
favorite 0
quote 0
senators reed and mcconnell will try to come to a deal. but they will try to passes a bill on the two key democratic priorities and dare republicans to block it. and they will not be able to do it, at least not for long. >> if we get down to the end of the year and the only choice we have is to keep the taxes from going up on the middle class, i will support that. >> a quote was given, mr. boehner said he wanted a deal along the lines that the two men negotiated in 2011, you missed your opportunity on that. president told him. cold. but what we know right now, what we know from that, is that john boehner wishes he could go back in time, go back to 2011, and get the deal that the president offered him then. mr. boehner wants another bite at the 2011 deal, because the president was going to stop $800 billion on taxes on the rich. in a few months the republicans will want to go back to 2012, to right now, and get the deal that the president offered them a week ago, which raise $1.2 trillion in taxes. if we get a small deal, because they come
senators reed and mcconnell will try to come to a deal. but they will try to passes a bill on the two key democratic priorities and dare republicans to block it. and they will not be able to do it, at least not for long. >> if we get down to the end of the year and the only choice we have is to keep the taxes from going up on the middle class, i will support that. >> a quote was given, mr. boehner said he wanted a deal along the lines that the two men negotiated in 2011, you missed...
311
311
Dec 23, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 311
favorite 0
quote 0
can mitch mcconnell or anyone on the republican sidestep forward in these last nine days remains to be seen. >> david drucker, to you. we had senator chuck schumer saying we were this close to getting a deal done. how close is "this close" now? and what did that entail? >> well, you know, i think it depends on what you think is "this close." from what we can tell, it looked as though speaker boehner and president obama were getting towards a formula of spending cuts and entitlement reform in exchange for tax increases in terms of rates going up on some level of higher income earners, and there's evidence that the president was willing to move from his $250,000 position to somewhere up around $400,000. of course the speaker was always looking to cap it at a million. but clearly they didn't feel they were getting somewhere, which is why the speaker was then running his plan b, which ultimately failed. look, i think that there is a deal that could get enough republican votes in a majority of republican votes in the house to raise income tax rates on higher earners. but in order to get rep
can mitch mcconnell or anyone on the republican sidestep forward in these last nine days remains to be seen. >> david drucker, to you. we had senator chuck schumer saying we were this close to getting a deal done. how close is "this close" now? and what did that entail? >> well, you know, i think it depends on what you think is "this close." from what we can tell, it looked as though speaker boehner and president obama were getting towards a formula of spending...
99
99
Dec 27, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 99
favorite 0
quote 0
>> mcconnell, i don't great with steve. i've had january 10th in the pool for quite some time as the day they come to an agreement. i think the question is will the republicans have any leverage at that point to get the spending cuts and entitlement reforms that were on the table before they're going to give up their leverage? and .i think they're going to listen to fight another day when the country runs out of money sometime at the end of february. we saw tim geithner the treasury secretary say december 31st is the day when we technically reach the debt limit. they're going to move some things around. after a couple of months, i think that's the next battleground. it just never ends. >> and we'll take a look at that. what geithner said was he was writing to inform the congressional leaders that a debt limit would be reached on december 31st, 2012, and notify you. the treasury department will begin taking extraordinary measures authorized by law to temporary regardly postpone the date that u.s. would otherwise default on i
>> mcconnell, i don't great with steve. i've had january 10th in the pool for quite some time as the day they come to an agreement. i think the question is will the republicans have any leverage at that point to get the spending cuts and entitlement reforms that were on the table before they're going to give up their leverage? and .i think they're going to listen to fight another day when the country runs out of money sometime at the end of february. we saw tim geithner the treasury...
97
97
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 97
favorite 0
quote 0
boehner's out, mcconnell's out. reid says it's up to boehner, white house can't get boehner to talk to them. it's kind of a mess, senator schatz. and it is now part of your party. so what is the next move? there is late news tonight that president obama will convene a meeting of congressional leaders at the white house tomorrow afternoon to discuss the current impasse. and to give you a spirit of the compromise and sense of goodwill toward men in which republican house speaker john boehner is approaching this meeting here is a statement we were e-mailed by brendan bock. "tomorrow speaker boehner will attend a meeting where he will continue to stress that the house has already passed legislation to avert the entire fiscal cliff and now the senate must act." so that's helpful. senator schatz, i know you probably just checked into the marriott capitol hill or something, but i don't know, you got any ideas? joining us is someone who i hope will have ideas. democratic senator debbie stabenow. senator stabenow, thank you
boehner's out, mcconnell's out. reid says it's up to boehner, white house can't get boehner to talk to them. it's kind of a mess, senator schatz. and it is now part of your party. so what is the next move? there is late news tonight that president obama will convene a meeting of congressional leaders at the white house tomorrow afternoon to discuss the current impasse. and to give you a spirit of the compromise and sense of goodwill toward men in which republican house speaker john boehner is...
111
111
Dec 29, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 111
favorite 0
quote 0
senators reid and mcconnell will try to come to a deal. if they fail, the white house and harry reid are going to try to jam through a bill that increases taxes on rich people and extends unemployment insurance, which are the two key democratic priorities. they'll pretty much dare republicans to block it. and republicans probably won't be able to, at least not for long. here's johnny isaacson, a republican senator from georgia, over the weekend. >> if we get down to the end of this year, and the only choice we have is to save taxes going up on the middle class, then i would support that. >> last weekend, "the wall street journal" had a great piece going behind the scenes on the fiscal cliff negotiations. and in it, they quoted this exchange between speaker boehner and president obama. mr. boehner said he wanted to deal along the lines what the two men had negotiated, summer of 2011, in the fight over raising the debt ceiling. "you missed your opportunity on that," the president told him. cold. but what we know right now, what we know from
senators reid and mcconnell will try to come to a deal. if they fail, the white house and harry reid are going to try to jam through a bill that increases taxes on rich people and extends unemployment insurance, which are the two key democratic priorities. they'll pretty much dare republicans to block it. and republicans probably won't be able to, at least not for long. here's johnny isaacson, a republican senator from georgia, over the weekend. >> if we get down to the end of this year,...
102
102
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 102
favorite 0
quote 0
>> well, let's listen to senator mcconnell. more of what he has to say. because his words haven't provided much comfort to those who feel that the senate should be serious in its obligation to the american people. let's take a listen. >> as i indicated, the president called me and probably called others last night. my impression is he would like to see if we can move forward. we don't have very many days left. and i've indicated i'm willing to enter into a discussion, see what the president may have in mind. >> now, mcconnell said, look, the president should have been talking like this months ago. well, you were trying to unseat him. that was your major obligation. you told us that. now that you're back on board here, does this sound like something sincere? or is this more posturing, do you think? >> only his campaign manager knows for sure. you know, he has -- he has a serious threat as relates to his re-election ability, and bowyer has a serious problem when it comes to being re-elected speaker. as a politician you start dealing with re-election you're
>> well, let's listen to senator mcconnell. more of what he has to say. because his words haven't provided much comfort to those who feel that the senate should be serious in its obligation to the american people. let's take a listen. >> as i indicated, the president called me and probably called others last night. my impression is he would like to see if we can move forward. we don't have very many days left. and i've indicated i'm willing to enter into a discussion, see what the...
470
470
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 470
favorite 0
quote 0
does he blink obama's plan to the floor or try to work with mcconnell in this 11th hour. you will have a tough vote for many house republicans. if that level is at 250 and it includes unemployment, make it so republicans may not. >> joy, do you think we have a deal? >> you know, ill'm still very dubious. but if there is a deal, it will be with a majority of democrats in the house and there's a political risk for boehner in that. >> thank you. you've been watching "hardball." we'll be back in one hour with an all-new live edition. until then, "politics nation" starts rite now. >> thanks, richard. thanks to you for tuning in. breaking news, president obama urges congress to make a deal to overt the fiscal cliff. he announces no deal, but progress may be in sight. >> and that would be the wrong thing to do for our e con mu. it would be bad for middle class families and bad for businesses that depend on family spending. fortunately, congress can prevent it from happening if they act right now. i just had a good and constructive discussion here at the white house about how to
does he blink obama's plan to the floor or try to work with mcconnell in this 11th hour. you will have a tough vote for many house republicans. if that level is at 250 and it includes unemployment, make it so republicans may not. >> joy, do you think we have a deal? >> you know, ill'm still very dubious. but if there is a deal, it will be with a majority of democrats in the house and there's a political risk for boehner in that. >> thank you. you've been watching...
102
102
Dec 27, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 102
favorite 0
quote 0
>> senator mcconnell's probably in the best position. he's in very close touch with the president, the white house and democrats in both the senate and the house have been in very close coordination throughout this. they have been in lockstep. it was interesting to note that when we saw the plan "b" chaos just before christmas the house democrats stood firm. they stood united. historically, that's not the play of the democratic party but that does seem to be where the democrats are right now. the president is back today so there can be an opportunity for some discussions to resume. but boehner has made it clear that's it up to the senate at least in his opinion to make the next move. >> david, senator reid today accused speaker boehner of ca caring more about his job than, quote, keeping america on firm financial footing. >> right. >> that's the quote there. congressman tom cole asked about that earlier today. this was his answer. take a listen. >> he had the complete support of everybody for plan "b" and support in terms of speakership
>> senator mcconnell's probably in the best position. he's in very close touch with the president, the white house and democrats in both the senate and the house have been in very close coordination throughout this. they have been in lockstep. it was interesting to note that when we saw the plan "b" chaos just before christmas the house democrats stood firm. they stood united. historically, that's not the play of the democratic party but that does seem to be where the democrats...
103
103
Dec 28, 2012
12/12
by
MSNBCW
tv
eye 103
favorite 0
quote 0
he needs mcconnell. if he can get mcconnell and a couple senate republicans, then -- >> what about the body of 40 or so tea partiers who are holdouts. how does he reach them? the ones necessary for any kind of majority? >> he doesn't necessarily need them. if he can get senate republicans, then -- >> is that his game right now to go around his hard core right? >> it is. because then the hard core right isn't just blaming john boehner for all the troubles of the world. they're also -- >> can he allow the house of representatives to work its will with the minority of republicans? >> yes, he can. >> glen, is this your view? if we get a solution next week, it's probably because the speaker allows a minority of republicans, maybe less than 100, to agree with some 120 democrats and out of that will be a deal because it came through the senate somehow that they both had to go that way. is that how it looks like it will develop here? >> that was the undercurrent to what harry reid said today is if this guy opens
he needs mcconnell. if he can get mcconnell and a couple senate republicans, then -- >> what about the body of 40 or so tea partiers who are holdouts. how does he reach them? the ones necessary for any kind of majority? >> he doesn't necessarily need them. if he can get senate republicans, then -- >> is that his game right now to go around his hard core right? >> it is. because then the hard core right isn't just blaming john boehner for all the troubles of the world....